Take the mystery out of commercial patterns!

     I remember my grandmother opening a sheet of newspaper to make a pattern piece for her new dress. In rural America a pattern was a luxury and expensive. When you could buy one, they were not printed. A letter or number was punched into it and that was the only way anyone know what the piece was. You had to add the seam allowances of course. The instruction sheet was minimal. Pattern companies got better. They printed them with information so it became easier to assemble. They were one size and had seam lines as well as cutting lines.


     In November 1968 the major pattern companies agreed to standardize the sizing. They adhere to those measurements today. When you go shopping you might buy and 8 or 10, but the pattern size you buy will be a 14 or 16. Yuck!!! (That is vanity sizing!) Remember ladies- it is just a number. Designers decided they could sell more if you thought you were a smaller size.


     During the mid 80’s the multi-size patterns became popular. They eliminated the sewing line marks and offered that a pattern with 3 or even 4 sizes had cutting lines only. Now we have patters with 8 or 10 sizes all printed on the same paper. Patterns were never meant to come out of their envelopes, cut and sew straight to a finished garment. They are a start- and idea. It is a process and the first step is to sew up the main body pieces in an inexpensive fabric like muslin. Then you get to be the designer!


     About 10 years ago the McCall’s Pattern Company bought VOGUE and Butterick. They all moved to Manhattan, Kansas. The patterns are all drafted on computers and they try to follow the standard sizes that were established in the 1960’s. From my experience, the “very easy” patterns don’t always turn out to be “very easy”!! They offer construction techniques that skip steps in order to call it a “very easy” pattern. Today you can sew faster, more accurately and with less frustration. There are new tools i.e.: sergers and rotary cutters that aid you in making a quality made garment.     We don’t sew like grandmother did any more. Come in for a sewing lesson and update your skills! The original November 1968 VOGUE pattern book will be in the store for anyone to see the pattern changes that were made. It is very interesting and extremely inspiring!!!